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Non-English equivalents

The common Roman's origin for the words soldier and payment survives not only in French as soldat and solde, but also in other languages, like GermanSoldat and Sold, RomanianSoldat, Spanishsoldado and sueldo, Portuguesesoldado and soldo, Dutchsoldaat and soldij, Italiansoldato and soldo,Arabic "جندي" (Jondi), or "مجنّد" (mojannad), or "عسكري" (askari) in the Lebanese dialect, Turkishasker.

In the Russian language the word soldier is also "солдат" (soldat), although it is not related to the Russian word for money, but was borrowed from German use. In some languages the word "soldier" is derived from different etymologies. For example Estonian sõdur is derived from word sõda, which means "war," and Finnish sotilas, soturi, and sota, meaning "war." In Scottish Gaelic saighdear is derived from the word saighead, meaning arrow, a cognate with the star sign sagittarius.

Occupational designations

In most armed forces the word soldier has been mostly abandoned, due to the increasing specialization of military occupations that require different areas of knowledge and skill-sets. As a result, "soldier" has been replaced by names which reflect an individual's military occupation specialty Arm, Service or Branch of military employment, their type of unit, or operational employment or technical use such as: trooper, tanker, Commando, dragoon, infantryman, marine, paratrooper, ranger, sniper, engineer, sapper, or a gunner.

Other terms

In many countries soldiers serving in specific occupations are referred to by terms other than their occupational name. For example military police personnel in the U.K. are known as "redcaps" from the colour of their berets or other headwear.

French Marine Infantry are called marsouins (porpoises) because of their amphibious role. Military units in most armies have nicknames of this type, arising either from items of distinctive uniform, some historical connotation or rivalry between branches or regiments.

For example, U.S. Marines are sometimes called jar-heads because of their "high and tight" haircuts and the way they wear their hats makes their heads look like the cap of a jar or decanter.

If people fight in irregular (not normal forces (armies not wearing a uniform, and not part of the official military (fighting group) of a nation), they are called partisans if they fight against another nation's army, or terrorists, if they fight civilians.